Regional Data

Rural development is the process by which the lives of individuals and families living in rural areas are improved. Effective rural development involves several components that include:
1) good jobs that provide individuals and families the opportunity to earn and maintain a livable income;
2) a chance to complete an education and have lifelong opportunities to learn and improve one’s circumstances;
3) and the opportunity to live a reasonably long and healthy life. Communities that effectively meet these conditions are likely to retain existing residents and attract new residents and thus experience population growth.

The first step for any rural community in advancing an effective development program is to carefully assess baseline conditions. In response, the Western Rural Development Center (WRDC) is providing population and land data on the Western U.S. The WRDC has compiled this information for the 13 states comprising its region of focus.

To review the 2010 Census data in your state, select your state from the list located on the left side of this page.